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The Biennial of the Americas announced its initial line-up of confirmed speakers, panel moderators, as well as symposium and clínica topics for its opening week of the 2015 Biennial, July 14 – 19th in Denver.

2015 Biennial of the Americas

Now!

July, 14 – August 30, 2015

Artistic Director and Curator: Lauren Wright

Symposium: NOW!
July 14 – 19th in Denver

The 2015 Biennial will assemble a diverse array of public figures, moderated by leading journalists Tina Brown, Maria Bartiromo and León Krauze, featuring experts and innovators in a variety of fields including education, technology, entrepreneurship, energy, trade, public health, natural resources and politics. These discussions are led by a moderator and will showcase the importance of various issues affecting the Americas NOW!

Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Generation NOW!: New Leadership for a New World
7:30 p.m. at Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Open to the public, the Generation NOW! symposium will explore new priorities and approaches to participation in business, civic and social life that are fueled by evolving technologies, methods of learning and interaction.

Moderator:
• León Krauze, Journalist and News Anchor, Univision

Speakers:
• Gabriel Sanchez Zinny, President, Kuepa.com and Author of Educación 3.0: The Struggle for Talent in Latin America
• Adriana Cisneros, CEO, Cisneros and President, Fundación Cisneros

Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Business NOW!: The Case for a New North-South Vision
7:30 p.m. at Ellie Caulkins Opera House

The Business NOW! symposium will seek the next big idea for trade in the Americas, exploring the strategies, tools and policies that can jumpstart business growth in the hemisphere. Special performance proceeding symposia by Los Dreamers.

Moderator:
• Maria Bartiromo, Global Markets Editor and Anchor, FOX Business Network and Anchor, FOX News Channel

Speakers:
• Mike Fries, President and CEO, Liberty Global Inc.
• Mark Tercek, President and CEO, The Nature Conservancy
• José Manuel Carrera, Director for Infrastructure and New Business Ventures, Pemex
• Graciela Chichilnisky, CEO, Global Thermostat
• Alicia Lebrija Hirschfeld, Presidente Ejecutiva, Televisa Foundation

Thursday, July 16, 2015
Community NOW!: Legalization: The Next Phase in the War on Drugs?
7:30 p.m. at Ellie Caulkins Opera House

The Community NOW! symposium will examine how illicit drug markets affect communities in the Americas and will explore effective approaches to legalization and policy.

Moderator:
Tina Brown, Founder and CEO, Tina Brown Live Media

Speakers:
• Ricardo Lagos, President of Chile (2000-2006) and Director, Fundación Democracia y Desarrollo
• Colorado Governor John W. Hickenlooper
• Nora Volkow, Director, National Institute of Drug Abuse
• César Gaviria, President of Colombia (1990-1994)

Friday, July 17, 2015
Special Panel of Mayors: Governance NOW!: The Return of the City-State
12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Seawell Ballroom

This moderated panel will convene Mayors and former Mayors from across the Western Hemisphere to discuss the growing importance of local leadership on national and international issues. Additional speakers to be announced soon.

Speakers:
• Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock
• City of Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado
• City of Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi

CLINICAS (Participation by invitation)
Wednesday, July 15 – Friday, July 17, 2015

Biennial hosted clínicas, or peer-to-peer workshops, are designed to address today’s most pressing issues in the Americas, drawing experts from various disciplines, perspectives, backgrounds and experiences to explore bold approaches and innovative solutions to the challenges presented.

The 2015 clínicas will address topics including: lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, ubiquitous technology, energy development, the next big trade idea for the Americas, impact investing, natural resource use, physical and mental public health and drug policy in consideration of citizen security, migration and changing legalities. Each three-hour clínica is singularly designed, professionally facilitated by McKinsey and Company and centered around a key topic that lies within the Biennial festival’s theme. Each clínica session aims to produce a platform for action that contains recommended next steps for each topic.

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